15 Actresses Perfect for the Role of the Gwenpool in the MCU

Gwenpool (Gwendolyn Poole) is a Marvel Comics character created by writer Christopher Hastings and artist Gurihiru, recognizable for a pink-and-white costume, fourth-wall awareness, and meta-comic exploits that fold genre tropes into high-energy action. On the page, she manipulates comic-book logic, riffs on superhero conventions, and bounces between comedy and combat set pieces with a self-referential edge.

Translating that blend to live action points toward performers with proven range across action, thriller, comedy, and stylized genre storytelling. Below are fifteen actresses with substantial film and television credits, with notes on projects, collaborators, and story frameworks that align with the tone and agility a screen version of Gwenpool would require.

Blake Lively

Blake Lively headlined the survival thriller ‘The Shallows’, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and written by Anthony Jaswinski, carrying a lean, effects-driven story largely solo as a stranded surfer. She starred in the neo-noir ‘A Simple Favor’, directed by Paul Feig and written by Jessica Sharzer from Darcey Bell’s novel, opposite Anna Kendrick in a twisty missing-person narrative.

Her broader credits include ‘The Town’, directed by Ben Affleck from a screenplay by Affleck, Peter Craig, and Aaron Stockard, where she appeared alongside Affleck, Jeremy Renner, and Rebecca Hall. Additional films include ‘The Age of Adaline’, directed by Lee Toland Krieger and written by J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz, and ‘All I See Is You’, directed by Marc Forster, which incorporates subjective visuals and psychological drama.

Samara Weaving

Samara Weaving starred in the horror-comedy ‘Ready or Not’, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett from a script by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy, playing a new bride forced into a deadly ritual hunt. She appeared in ‘Guns Akimbo’, written and directed by Jason Lei Howden, a high-concept action film with Daniel Radcliffe set in a live-streamed death match.

Additional credits include ‘Mayhem’, directed by Joe Lynch and written by Matias Caruso, which strands characters inside a quarantined office during a violence-inducing outbreak, and ‘Bill & Ted Face the Music’, directed by Dean Parisot and written by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon. She also featured in ‘Scream VI’ under directors Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett, part of a legacy slasher franchise with meta commentary.

Zoey Deutch

Zoey Deutch led ‘Before I Fall’, directed by Ry Russo-Young and written by Maria Maggenti from Lauren Oliver’s novel, which follows a student reliving the same day to unravel a mystery. She co-starred in ‘Zombieland: Double Tap’, directed by Ruben Fleischer and written by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Dave Callaham, joining an ensemble with Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Abigail Breslin.

Deutch headlined ‘Set It Up’, directed by Claire Scanlon and written by Katie Silberman, a New York-set romantic comedy where assistants orchestrate a match for their bosses. She also starred in ‘Not Okay’, written and directed by Quinn Shephard, which centers on a fabricated social-media narrative that spirals, featuring Dylan O’Brien and Mia Isaac.

Elle Fanning

Elle Fanning stars in the satirical series ‘The Great’, created by Tony McNamara, a stylized reimagining of Catherine the Great’s rise that pairs her with Nicholas Hoult across shifting power dynamics. In film, she appeared in ‘Super 8’, directed by J.J. Abrams from his original screenplay and produced by Steven Spielberg, about a group of young filmmakers who witness a catastrophic event in their town.

She collaborated with director Nicolas Winding Refn on ‘The Neon Demon’, co-written by Refn, Mary Laws, and Polly Stenham, set in the Los Angeles fashion world with horror elements. Additional work includes ‘Maleficent’ and its sequel, with the first film directed by Robert Stromberg and the follow-up by Joachim Rønning, in which she portrays Aurora opposite Angelina Jolie.

Chloë Grace Moretz

Chloë Grace Moretz played Hit-Girl in ‘Kick-Ass’ and ‘Kick-Ass 2’, directed by Matthew Vaughn and Jeff Wadlow respectively, adapted from comics by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr., combining stylized action and dark humor. She starred in ‘Let Me In’, directed and written by Matt Reeves from John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel, opposite Kodi Smit-McPhee, set around a friendship with a mysterious child.

Moretz headlined ‘Greta’, directed by Neil Jordan and co-written with Ray Wright, a psychological thriller co-starring Isabelle Huppert. She also leads the science-fiction series ‘The Peripheral’, created by Scott B. Smith and produced by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, adapted from William Gibson’s novel with a focus on near-future tech and intersecting timelines.

Jenna Ortega

Jenna Ortega stars in ‘Wednesday’, developed by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar with multiple episodes directed by Tim Burton, re-centering the Addams Family world on a boarding-school mystery with elements of comedy and fantasy. She appears in ‘Scream’ and ‘Scream VI’, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett from scripts credited to James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, continuing a meta-slasher tradition.

Ortega’s film work includes ‘X’, directed by Ti West and written by West, about a film crew encountering danger on a rural shoot, and ‘The Fallout’, written and directed by Megan Park, which follows students navigating trauma and media aftermath. She also appeared in ‘Yes Day’, directed by Miguel Arteta, adding family-adventure credentials to her range.

Kiernan Shipka

Kiernan Shipka led ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’, developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and adapted from Archie Comics, which blends occult horror with teen drama and features a supporting ensemble across multiple story arcs. Earlier, she portrayed Sally Draper in ‘Mad Men’, created by Matthew Weiner, a period ensemble drama recognized for writing, production design, and character development.

Her film work includes ‘The Silence’, directed by John R. Leonetti and written by Shane and Carey Van Dyke from Tim Lebbon’s novel, involving creatures that hunt by sound. Additional credits include ‘Carriers’, co-directed and written by Àlex and David Pastor, a pandemic road narrative, and ‘Let It Snow’, directed by Luke Snellin from a screenplay by multiple writers adapting a YA anthology.

Lili Reinhart

Lili Reinhart stars in ‘Riverdale’, developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa from Archie Comics, portraying Betty Cooper in a series that fuses noir elements, musical episodes, and mystery arcs. She led ‘Chemical Hearts’, written and directed by Richard Tanne and adapted from Krystal Sutherland’s novel, focusing on young journalists navigating relationships and creative ambitions.

Reinhart appeared in ‘Hustlers’, written and directed by Lorene Scafaria and inspired by Jessica Pressler’s article, as part of an ensemble with Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, and Keke Palmer set around a financial-crime scheme. Additional work includes ‘Galveston’, directed by Mélanie Laurent and written by Jim Hammett from Nic Pizzolatto’s novel, where she co-starred with Ben Foster and Elle Fanning.

Emma Mackey

Emma Mackey rose to prominence in ‘Sex Education’, created by Laurie Nunn, playing Maeve Wiley in a series that interweaves comedy and coming-of-age drama with storylines about school, family, and friendship. She appeared in ‘Death on the Nile’, directed by Kenneth Branagh from Michael Green’s screenplay adapting Agatha Christie’s novel, in an ensemble with Gal Gadot and Annette Bening.

Mackey starred in ‘Emily’, written and directed by Frances O’Connor, a biographical drama exploring Emily Brontë’s inner life and creative influences with Fionn Whitehead and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. She also featured in ‘Barbie’, directed by Greta Gerwig and co-written with Noah Baumbach, a fantasy-comedy with a large ensemble led by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.

Thomasin McKenzie

Thomasin McKenzie earned acclaim for ‘Leave No Trace’, directed by Debra Granik and co-written with Anne Rosellini from Peter Rock’s novel, where she co-starred with Ben Foster in a story about an off-the-grid father and daughter. She joined ‘Jojo Rabbit’, written and directed by Taika Waititi from Christine Leunens’s ‘Caging Skies’, set around a boy in wartime whose worldview is challenged.

McKenzie headlined ‘Last Night in Soho’, directed by Edgar Wright and co-written with Krysty Wilson-Cairns, a psychological thriller that crosses contemporary and period London with music-driven sequences. Additional credits include ‘Old’, written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan from the graphic novel ‘Sandcastle’, and ‘True History of the Kelly Gang’, directed by Justin Kurzel from Peter Carey’s novel.

Margaret Qualley

Margaret Qualley led the limited series ‘Maid’, created by Molly Smith Metzler and inspired by Stephanie Land’s memoir, portraying a young mother working as a cleaner while navigating systemic obstacles, alongside Andie MacDowell and Nick Robinson. She appeared in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, set in late-1960s Los Angeles with intersecting storylines involving actors, stunt performers, and the film industry.

Her filmography includes ‘The Nice Guys’, directed by Shane Black and written by Black and Anthony Bagarozzi, a period crime-comedy starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. She also headlined ‘Sanctuary’, directed by Zachary Wigon and written by Micah Bloomberg, a two-hander with Christopher Abbott, and appeared in ‘Stars at Noon’, directed by Claire Denis and co-written with Denis Johnson and Léa Mysius, adapted from Johnson’s novel.

Maya Hawke

Maya Hawke co-stars in ‘Stranger Things’, created by the Duffer Brothers, as part of an ensemble that blends science fiction, horror, and small-town adventure across intersecting plots. She led ‘Do Revenge’, directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and co-written with Celeste Ballard, a high-school dark comedy that draws on revenge-thriller frameworks and teen-movie conventions.

Hawke appeared in ‘Asteroid City’, written and directed by Wes Anderson, which layers a play-within-a-play structure over mid-century Americana with a large ensemble including Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson. Additional credits include ‘Mainstream’, directed by Gia Coppola and co-written with Tom Stuart, a satire about viral fame that pairs her with Andrew Garfield and Nat Wolff.

Joey King

Joey King appeared in ‘Bullet Train’, directed by David Leitch from Zak Olkewicz’s screenplay adapting Kōtarō Isaka’s novel, joining an ensemble with Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Brian Tyree Henry aboard a high-speed caper. She led ‘The Princess’, directed by Le-Van Kiet and written by Ben Lustig and Jake Thornton, an action-fantasy built around tower-set combat and hand-to-hand sequences.

Earlier credits include ‘The Kissing Booth’ films, directed by Vince Marcello and adapted from Beth Reekles’s novels, a teen-romance series co-starring Jacob Elordi and Joel Courtney. She also starred in ‘The Act’, created by Nick Antosca and Michelle Dean, a true-crime limited series about Gypsy Rose Blanchard that featured Patricia Arquette and AnnaSophia Robb, and appeared in ‘The Conjuring’, directed by James Wan.

Sophia Lillis

Sophia Lillis co-starred in ‘It’ and ‘It Chapter Two’, directed by Andy Muschietti from screenplays by Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga, and Gary Dauberman adapting Stephen King’s novel, playing Beverly Marsh within a shifting ensemble across different ages. She headlined ‘Gretel & Hansel’, directed by Osgood Perkins and written by Perkins and Rob Hayes, a dark fantasy-horror take on the Grimm tale.

Lillis played Doric in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’, directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley from a screenplay by Goldstein, Daley, and Michael Gilio, assembling a heist structure in a fantasy world. She also led the series ‘I Am Not Okay with This’, developed by Jonathan Entwistle and Christy Hall from Charles Forsman’s graphic novel, about a teenager discovering unusual abilities amid family and school pressures.

Sydney Sweeney

Sydney Sweeney stars in ‘Euphoria’, created by Sam Levinson, portraying Cassie Howard within an ensemble-centered drama recognized for stylized cinematography and music-driven sequences. She appeared in ‘The White Lotus’, created by Mike White, an anthology series set at a luxury resort with season-specific casts and social satire.

Her film credits include ‘Reality’, directed by Tina Satter and adapted from her play ‘Is This a Room’, reenacting an FBI interrogation transcript with stage-like fidelity. She also appears in ‘Madame Web’, directed by S.J. Clarkson from a script by multiple writers, set within a Marvel-associated character universe adjacent to Spider-Man, alongside Dakota Johnson, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor.

Anya Taylor-Joy

Anya Taylor-Joy led ‘The Queen’s Gambit’, created by Scott Frank and Allan Scott from Walter Tevis’s novel, focusing on a chess prodigy navigating competition, mentorship, and personal challenges. She starred in ‘The Witch’, written and directed by Robert Eggers, a Puritan-era horror story featuring archaic dialect and an emphasis on atmosphere and folklore.

Taylor-Joy appeared in ‘Split’ and ‘Glass’, written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, which connect to ‘Unbreakable’ in a grounded-superhero trilogy, and led ‘Last Night in Soho’, directed by Edgar Wright and co-written with Krysty Wilson-Cairns, a psychological mystery with music and period design elements. She also headlined ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’, directed by George Miller and co-written with Nico Lathouris, set in a post-apocalyptic world defined by vehicular action and practical stunts.

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